> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.swarmia.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.swarmia.com/guides/identify-and-improve-delivery-bottlenecks.md). # Identify and improve delivery bottlenecks Delivery bottlenecks slow down feedback loops, delay releases, and make work feel less predictable. They often show up as pull requests that wait too long for review, issues that stay in progress for days or weeks, large batches of code, too much work in progress, or repeated interruptions from reactive work. Swarmia helps you identify where work slows down by combining code metrics, issue metrics, benchmarks, working agreements, notifications, and day-to-day pull request visibility. The goal is not to inspect individual engineers, but to help teams spot patterns in their workflow and improve together. ### Spot bottlenecks in your metrics Start by looking at your team’s delivery flow. In [**Code metrics**](https://help.swarmia.com/features/metrics/code-metrics), follow pull request cycle time, batch size, review time, and the number of pull requests in progress. In [**Issue metrics**](https://help.swarmia.com/features/metrics/issue-cycle-time), look at how long issues spend in progress and whether work is waiting, blocked, or split across too many priorities. Use [**benchmarks and comparisons**](https://help.swarmia.com/guides/benchmarks-and-comparisons) as directional guidance to see which parts of the workflow may need attention, but focus first on improving from your own baseline. ### Drill into the underlying work When you find a bottleneck, drill into the underlying work. Look for pull requests or issues that took much longer than usual, then ask what they have in common. Common causes include too much work in progress, large pull requests, slow or inconsistent reviews, unclear ownership, cross-team dependencies, manual testing or deployment steps, and reactive work taking time away from planned work. ### Set shared expectations with working agreements Once you understand the pattern, agree on one improvement to try. For example, you might set a working agreement to keep pull requests below a certain batch size, review pull requests within a few working days, limit the number of open pull requests, or reduce issue cycle time by limiting work in progress. Team notifications and daily digests help keep these agreements visible, while personal Slack or Microsoft Teams notifications make sure pull requests do not sit waiting for review, comments, or failed checks. ### Manage day-to-day delivery with the PR inbox Use the [**PR inbox**](https://help.swarmia.com/features/managing-pull-requests-in-progress-with-the-pull-request-view) to stay on top of day-to-day delivery. It shows what is in progress, what is waiting for review, what is ready to merge, and what may be going stale. Closing or merging old pull requests can also help the team start from a cleaner baseline before focusing on new work. For many teams, the fastest improvements come from keeping batches smaller, reviewing code sooner, and reducing the amount of parallel work. Smaller pull requests are easier to plan, review, and deploy. Faster reviews reduce waiting time. WIP limits help engineers focus and make it easier to finish work before starting more. ### Address broader workflow constraints If pull request flow looks healthy but delivery is still slow, look at issue cycle time and broader workflow bottlenecks. Long-running issues may point to unclear priorities, large work items, dependencies outside the team, knowledge silos, too many meetings, or manual work and toil. Discuss these patterns in retrospectives and use Swarmia’s data to decide what to improve next. ### Build a habit of continuous improvement Delivery improvement is an ongoing process. After one bottleneck improves, keep monitoring it so the team does not slide back, then move on to the next constraint. Over time, clear visibility, shared expectations, and regular team discussions help teams deliver in smaller increments, reduce waiting, and ship valuable work more predictably. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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